The state honors Amatore for stopping a gunman after three colleagues were wounded and recognizes two other officers for lifesaving actions.
Rochester Police Officer Nicole Amatore is New York’s 2026 Police Officer of the Year. The state gave her its highest honor for a police officer after she stopped a gunman who had wounded three of her colleagues during a December 2025 call. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the award Tuesday, Sept. 22, as New York also recognized two officers for separate rescues.
The honor follows a frightening night for a Rochester family, responding officers and their neighbors. It also puts the focus on the choices emergency workers make when seconds matter. Here is what the state’s account says happened, why Amatore received the award and how the other two honors differ.
What happened in Rochester on Dec. 19?
According to the governor’s announcement, police responded to a 911 call about an armed man trying to enter a home where his estranged partner and children lived. Two officers found the man outside a first-floor window and told him to show his hands. The man drew a gun and fired, wounding both officers, the state said.
The gunman fled on foot. Several blocks away, he fired at a third officer and wounded that officer as well. Amatore arrived as the search continued. The state says the man fired at her. She took cover behind a tree, returned fire and stopped him. A round struck the tree she was using for cover. All three wounded officers survived.
The Associated Press reported at the time that three Rochester officers had been shot during a confrontation that began with a domestic dispute call. The governor’s later announcement names Amatore and describes the actions for which she received the award. The state announcement does not provide a detailed account of the wounded officers’ recoveries.
Why did the state choose Amatore?
The Police Officer of the Year Award recognizes exceptional valor and bravery by a New York officer. The state said Amatore faced a gunman who had already shot three officers, came under fire herself and acted to end the threat. Hochul said, “It is my honor to name Officer Amatore the 2026 Police Officer of the Year.”
Amatore has served with the Rochester Police Department since 2019, according to the governor’s office. She is the department’s second member to receive the statewide honor. Rochester Mayor Malik Evans and Police Chief David M. Smith also praised her actions in statements included with the announcement.
The state presented the award during the Division of Criminal Justice Services’ annual Public Safety Symposium. DCJS Commissioner Rossana Rosado presented the honor on Hochul’s behalf. Family members and colleagues joined the honorees at the ceremony.
Two more officers receive lifesaving awards
The state also recognized New York State Trooper Thomas Stiehler and Suffolk County Police Sergeant Robert Griffith with Lifesaving Awards. These are separate honors. Neither was named Police Officer of the Year in the announcement.
Trooper Stiehler’s Albany fire rescue
On July 4, 2025, Stiehler responded to reports of gunfire in Albany and arrived at a burning building, according to the governor’s office. He and other officers went inside to search for people who might be trapped. The state says he climbed several flights of stairs, broke into the apartment of an older woman who could not walk on her own and carried her to safety through thickening smoke.
Stiehler had been a state trooper for a little more than a year. The New York State Police also described his actions in its account of a separate agency awards ceremony. The Lifesaving Award announced this week recognizes his rescue of the resident.
Sergeant Griffith’s Suffolk County response
On July 13, 2025, Griffith and Officer Jovanni Johnson responded to a report of a fight involving a knife. They found a man with serious wounds to his neck and hands and began emergency care, the state said. The account says the alleged attacker then came out of nearby woods and charged toward the injured man with a knife raised.
Griffith fired three shots, and the man dropped the knife, according to the release. Griffith then moved the injured man to safety. The state credits the officers’ quick medical aid and response to the renewed threat. Its announcement does not provide further information about the injured man’s recovery or the final outcome of any investigation.
What do the awards recognize?
New York’s annual Police Officer of the Year Award dates back more than 40 years. The state created the Lifesaving Award in 2016 after receiving many nominations about officers acting in life-threatening emergencies. DCJS coordinates the selection committee, which includes law enforcement and police union representatives. The state says every nominee receives a Certificate of Exceptional Valor.
In brief, the honors serve different purposes:
- Police Officer of the Year: the state’s highest honor for a police officer, recognizing exceptional valor and bravery.
- Lifesaving Award: recognition for a courageous action that saved a human life.
- Certificate of Exceptional Valor: recognition for nominees considered by the selection committee.
The accounts published with the awards come from the state and the agencies involved. They explain why these officers were honored, while leaving some details of the underlying emergencies outside the announcement. Readers seeking a fuller record of any incident can follow the linked official releases and subsequent public reporting.
Amatore’s award recognizes a response made under gunfire after three colleagues were wounded. The other two awards recognize a rescue from a burning building and a response to a knife attack. Their common thread is immediate action to protect someone in danger. Read the full state announcement for the original accounts and the officials’ statements.
